Department for Transport

Railways: South of England

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what measures he is taking to improve passenger rail journeys in southern England.

Paul Maynard: Since the New Year this Government has invested an extra £300 million for Network Rail to boost the operational resilience of the infrastructure on its Southern rail route. This is on top of the Government-sponsored Thameslink Programme, which is delivering a significant increase in capacity across central London through a combination of new infrastructure, new trains and a new timetable in 2018 providing better connections for passengers across London and the South East.

Tyne and Wear Metro

Mr Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to provide  support for a new fleet of rolling stock serving the Tyne and Wear Metro.

Paul Maynard: The Department for Transport (DFT) is in discussions with Nexus regarding their proposals for new rolling stock on the Metro. DfT and HM Treasury officials are working with Nexus to understand the business case for the replacement of the current fleet and exploring various funding options.

Tyne and Wear Metro

Mr Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps his Department has taken to support the long-term investment of the Tyne and Wear Metro.

Paul Maynard: The Department for Transport continues to financially support the Metro by providing £317m through the 10 year Asset Renewal Programme to 2021 which delivers significant investment in infrastructure, stations and rolling stock. This is in addition to the £25m we provide annually by way of revenue support to help fund the day to day operation of the Metro.

Transport: Per Capita Costs

Mr Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much per capita funding was spent on transport infrastructure in (a) the North East and (b) London in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Andrew Jones: Figures on public sector spend per head of population are produced at a regional level as the HMT’s Country and Regional Analysis (CRA) statistics. It is important to understand however significant caveats about the interpretation of these figures for transport spending. In terms of the regional allocation of spending, the CRA attempts to allocate expenditure on the basis of which region benefits from the spend rather than where it is made. However, it is not always possible to put the value of spending down to certain parts of the country, and this is particularly a problem for spending on motorway and trunk roads and on the railway due to the nature of these transport networks. For example whilst spending on a local hospital is likely to predominantly benefit those who live in that area, and so it is fairly clear which region benefits from the spend, spending on a motorway or railway line in one area will benefit not just those living nearby but also those travelling from many areas across the country. Whilst the Department does try to distribute rail funding across the regions based on which passengers benefit, allocations are inevitably fairly imprecise. In terms of the calculation of this regional spending on a per capita (i.e. per resident population) basis, the calculation for London does not account for the fact that London has a substantial number of daily commuters and visitors, both domestically and internationally, who will be using and benefitting from the public transport networks and roads in London but who are not residents in London. In particular, as the main international gateway into the country London will also have transport investments which look beyond just the local resident population. The unique scale and urban density of London by comparison to other parts of the country also means that it is particularly suited to large scale public transport networks. Taking the above into account, Government expenditure on transport for 2015-16 is shown in the table below. Table 1. Government expenditure on transport per head of population by region Total transport spend per capitaof which: capitalof which: currentLondon£973£688£285North East£299£182£116Source:HM Treasury Country and Regional Analysis (CRA) 2016 Definitions:Capital expenditure is usually understood to mean capital formation, net acquisition of land, and expenditure on capital grants. Capital formation is expenditure, net of sales, on fixed assets (such as buildings, vehicles and machinery) and net stock building, and can be measured gross or net of depreciation. Fixed assets are assets that can be used repeatedly to produce goods and services and generally last more than one year. Current expenditure is spending on items that are consumed in the process of providing public services or, in other words, is recurring spending. This includes, for example, wages and salaries, benefits, and purchasing goods and services.

Roads: South West

Scott Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to invest in new road infrastructure in the South West; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Jones: My Department is investing significant money into new roads in the South West. This includes £2 billion in the Road Investment Strategy for motorways and major ‘A’ roads in the South West, as well as £365m towards local major schemes. Further details are presented below: Road Investment Strategy The Department for Transport announced schemes in the south west worth £2 billion in its Road Investment Strategy for motorways and major ‘A’ roads. This will include the delivery of the following schemes: - The A303 and A358 corridor;- A30 Temple to Carblake;- A30 Chiverton to Carland Cross. Congestion Relief Investment On 10 March 2017, the Government named 27 proposed small congestion relief schemes that can be delivered quickly. The South West was allocated £32 million, including proposals for the following 4 small schemes: - M5 J19 Improvements;- M5 J17-18 Driver Information & Queue Protection Scheme;- M5 J24-25 Driver Information & Queue Protection Scheme;- M5 J23-24 Driver information & Queue Protection Scheme. The programme for further small schemes for the region is currently being prioritised by Highways England and will be named at a future date.  Local Major SchemesThe following investment in the South West has been made since 2011/12: Scheme NameTransport ModeLocationTotal (£m) DfT (£m)Bath Transportation PackageMixedBath26.410.9Bristol Bus Rapid Transit (Ashton Vale to Temple Meads)Public transportBristol/N. Somerset54.534.5Bristol Bus Rapid Transit (North Fringe to Hengrove)Public transportS. Gloucs/Bristol106.951.1Camborne-Pool-Redruth Transport PackageRoadCornwall27.916.1East of ExeterRoadDevon14.410.2Eastern Villages Infrastructure - South Connector RdRoadSwindon53.734.1Eastern Villages Infrastructure - White Hart JunctionRoadSwindon29.522.5Elmbridge Transport (Phase 1)RoadGloucestershire14.79.0Forder Valley Transport LinkRoadPlymouth33.422.6Kingskerswell BypassRoadDevon106.576.4South Bristol LinkRoadN. Somerset/Bristol44.327.6Taunton Northern Inner Distributor RoadRoadSomerset27.014.7Weston Package Phase 1MixedN. Somerset13.49.3Wichelstowe InfrastructureRoadSwindon28.222.9Total Local Major Schemes   580.8361.9 Note: a number of the schemes above include provision of other transport modes, but there are elements of new road provision in all. The Department for Transport is also providing £1.5m each for the development of business cases for the A391 improvements in Cornwall and the North Devon Link Road.

Roads: South West

David Warburton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether plans to dual the A303 and upgrade the A358 will change in response to the recommendations in the recently published National Audit Office report, Progress with the Road Investment Strategy.

Andrew Jones: There are no plans to make changes to the dualling of the A303 and upgrade the A358 in response to recommendations made by NAO report. This Government is taking the big decisions for Britain’s future, underlined by our record £15 billion funding for major road schemes to cut congestion, improve journey times and boost economic growth. As the National Audit Office acknowledged there has been a significant improvement in the efficient management of the strategic road network.

Great Northern Railway Line

Mrs Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to support plans to introduce four trains an hour through New Barnet and Oakleigh Park on the Great Northern Line when the December 2018 timetable is introduced following the completion of the Thameslink programme.

Paul Maynard: The Government-sponsored Thameslink Programme will deliver a significant increase in capacity through a combination of new infrastructure, new trains and a new timetable in 2018 providing better connections for passengers across London and the South East. GTR have completed the first stage of their consultation on the 2018 timetable. They are currently reviewing the response and developing their timetable options. They will be undertaking a further consultation with passengers later this year.

High Speed Two

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2017 to Question 65186, on High Speed 2, how much has been paid to each of the contractors listed in Annex A in each year since 2010.

Andrew Jones: The information requested could only be made available at disproportionate cost.

Redcar British Steel Station

Anna Turley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many passenger journeys have (a) started and (b) ended at British Steel Redcar Railway Station in the last five years.

Paul Maynard: The number of passenger journeys starting and ending at British Steel Redcar railway station over the last five years is as follows:YearStarting at British Steel Redcar stationEnding at British Steel Redcar station2015/163703702014/157857852013/147097092012/134454452011/12411411Source: Office of Rail and Road, Estimates of Station Usage

Cycling

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 8 March 2017 to Question 65946, when his Department plans to publish the revised Local Transport Note 2/08 guidance on cycle infrastructure design.

Andrew Jones: As I set out in my response to the Honourable Member’s question on 22 February (UIN 63857), the Department will consider how to refresh Local Transport Note 2/08 ‘Cycle Infrastructure Design’ to take account of the new facilities to encourage cycling introduced in the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016. No timetable for this work has yet been set.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Communication

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has any plans for discontinuance of access by armed forces personnel to the e-bluey service.

Mark Lancaster: The new contract with Neopost will mean Britain's Armed Forces will continue to receive hard copy, secure mail, including photos from their loved ones for free, with no break in service as the new imail INtouch system replaces the e-bluey on 1 April 2017. This was announced on 27 March 2017.The e-bluey was a hybrid mail service which enabled service personnel stationed or deployed overseas to receive letters and photographs in hard copy format, but which were sent via email. e-bluey usage has declined by 98% since 2007.The iMail Intouch system is more modern and better value for money, allowing users to send up to eight pages including high definition photographs and official documents. Savings will be reinvested in welfare provision for the benefit of Service personnel, including the improvement of internet connections in theatre, ensuring that we continue to maintain world-class communications services for our deployed personnel.Letter and parcel services for personnel and their families will continue as before, with hand-written letters sent free of charge via a Forces Free Air Letter.

Aircraft Carriers

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost to the public purse is of dredging Portsmouth Harbour to allow the Queen Elizabeth carriers to enter Her Majesty's Naval Base Portsmouth.

Harriett Baldwin: The current approved budget for the dredging works and related activities is around £60 million, inclusive of VAT.

Navy: Intelligence Services

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 13, page 10, of the National Audit Office report, Delivering Carrier Strike, published on 16 March 2017, what steps he is taking to attract service personnel into Royal Navy intelligence roles.

Mike Penning: In planning for the personnel required to enable the Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers to fulfil their operational tasking, the Royal Navy has identified those roles and skills where increased numbers in specialist roles, such as intelligence officers, would be required. This has been factored into recruiting and training during the lead up to the in-service date.

Aircraft Carriers

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 1.8, page 16, of the National Audit Office report, Delivering Carrier Strike, published on 16 March 2017, what proportion of (a) total fleet and (b) Royal Navy personnel he expects to be assigned to a carrier task group.

Harriett Baldwin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 28 March 2017 to Question 68694 to the hon. Member for Dunfirmline and West Fife (Douglas Chapman).



68694 - WQnA extract on Aircraft Carriers
(Word Document, 33.55 KB)

Ministry of Defence: Internet

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the five most visited websites were by staff of his Department in the last year for which figures are available.

Mark Lancaster: The five most visited websites by Ministry of Defence staff in the last year were:www.google.co.ukwww.dle.mod.ukwww.telegraph.co.ukwww.google.comwww.rightmove.co.uk

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Electric Vehicles

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government is taking to prepare the national grid for a potential increase in the use of electric cars.

Jesse Norman: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Blackley and Broughton (Graham Stringer) on 16 March 2017 to Question UIN 67031.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Imad Hamato

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the Palestinian Authority on President Abbas' appointment of Imad Hamato as dean of the Al-Azhar institutes.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: ​While we have not raised this specific issue with the Palestinian Authority, we regularly push the Palestinian leadership to tackle language that could incite violence or hatred, including anti-Semitic language. The UK abhors and condemns the use of anti-Semitic or any racist language.

USA: Travel Restrictions

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his US counterpart on the new Executive Order implementing a travel ban on people from six countries and on refugees.

Sir Alan Duncan: Prior to the annoucement of the new Executive Order, I discussed the matter with the US Secretary for Homeland Security, General Kelly, at the Munich Security Conference on 17 February. General Kelly provided assurances that the new order would not affect British passport holders.

Venezuela: Politics and Government

Sir Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the political and economic situation in Venezuela.

Sir Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Venezuela on the political situation in that country.

Sir Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has discussed the political and economic situation in Venezuela with the Secretary General of the Organisation of American States.

Sir Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the political and economic situation in Venezuela.

Sir Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in Latin America on the political and economic situation in Venezuela.

Sir Alan Duncan: We share the concerns of the international community about the deteriorating political and economic situation in Venezuela. Economic mismanagement is producing inflation and shortages of basic goods, with a significant impact upon ordinary Venezuelans. Venezuela became an FCO Human Rights Priority Country in 2016. President Maduro has requested United Nations assistance to boost medical supplies.The Organisation of American States (OAS) has called for the OAS Democratic Charter to be invoked unless the Venezuelan Government calls elections and releases political prisoners. The UNASUR- supported dialogue between the Government and opposition has stalled.I met the previous Venezuelan Minister for Europe, Samuel Moncada at the EU-CELAC Foreign Minister's meeting on 26 October and discussed humanitarian issues and the economic situation. At that meeting I also raised the deteriorating situation in Venezuela with several of my Latin American and European counterparts. On 20 March I met a delegation of Venezuelan MPs from the National Assembly to discuss the situation and to highlight our support for an independent and empowered Parliament. The EU Foreign Affairs Committee last discussed Venezuela on 18 July, which was attended by the Foreign Secretary.

Yemen: Military Intervention

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for International Trade on UK arms sales to the Saudi-led coalition forces operating in Yemen.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: ​We take our arms export responsibilities very seriously. The key test for our arms exports to members of the Saudi-led coalition is whether there is a clear risk that the items concerned might be used in the commission of a serious violation of international humanitarian law. The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Mr Johnson), is in regular communication with the Secretary of State for International Trade, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox), on these issues.

Turkey: Human Rights

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Turkish counterpart on human rights and alleged religious persecution in that country.

Sir Alan Duncan: ​We monitor human rights in Turkey and regularly engage with Turkey on human rights at Ministerial level as well as via our Embassy network in Turkey. I raised human rights with Turkish counterparts most recently on 25 March during my latest visit to Turkey. We will continue to urge Turkey to uphold the rights of all its citizens, regardless of ethnicity and faith.

Department for International Development

Department for International Development: Internet

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the five most visited websites were by staff of her Department in the last year for which figures are available.

Rory Stewart: DFID does not hold this information in the format requested.

Afghanistan: Domestic Violence

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, with reference to the Answer of 7 July 2015 to Question 4985, what funding her Department has provided for services in Afghanistan providing legal advice to women who are victims of domestic violence in the last three years.

Rory Stewart: The UK is committed to supporting women who are victims of all forms of violence in Afghanistan. From 2014-2016 the UK funded a £3.1m programme which helps women who have been victims of violence to get the justice they deserve. The programme trained hundreds of government officials, community members, police, judiciary, religious leaders, and law students on the Ending Violence Against Women law. It also established a hotline that provided counselling and legal support to survivors of violence which took over 25000 calls from over two years from women who had been victims of domestic and other forms of violence.Between 2016 and 2018, the UK is providing £3.1m to UNFPA to establish Family Protection Centres in hospitals that provide health, counselling, legal services and referrals to women who have been victims of violence in Afghanistan.

India: Overseas Investment

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many people have benefited from improved energy access as a result of the 540MW Adhunik Power and Natural Resources Limited power project in Jharkhand which was funded from the Commonwealth Development Corporation.

Rory Stewart: CDC does not have a $100m investment in Adhunik Power and Natural Resources Limited. In 2008, CDC committed $100m to an investment fund (the India Infrastructure Fund) aimed at promoting development and economic prosperity by improving infrastructure in India. That fund has made multiple investments including the investment in Adhunik Power.At optimal capacity utilisation, the Adhunik plant provides sufficient power to cater to the needs of 3.44 million people.

India: Overseas Investment

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment has been made of the economic benefits delivered as a result of the 540MW Adhunik Power and Natural Resources Ltd power project in Jharkhand which was funded from the Commonwealth Development Corporation.

Rory Stewart: CDC does not have a $100m investment in Adhunik Power and Natural Resources Limited. In 2008, CDC committed $100m to an investment fund (the India Infrastructure Fund) aimed at promoting development and economic prosperity by improving infrastructure in India. That fund has made multiple investments including the investment in Adhunik Power.Adhunik Power has increased access to energy and economic growth by providing power to state electricity boards in the states of Jharkhand, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu where significant power shortages persist. At optimal capacity utilisation, the Adhunik plant produces sufficient power to cater to the needs of some 3.44 million people.In addition to providing full time employment to 364 people, the project is also providing a range of social benefits to local communities, including the provision of safe water, school transport for children, an ambulance facility and support to computer literacy and self-help initiatives.

East Africa: Food Aid

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government plans to take with its international partners to increase the level of food available to Somalia and South Sudan.

James Wharton: The UK is leading on the international response to the food crises in Somalia and South Sudan. DFID quickly responded to the crises, announcing £100m of life-saving emergency assistance for South Sudan and £110m for Somalia. UK food assistance will directly reach 1.5 million people across the two countries. The UK Government has also provided £10m in aid-match funding to the Disasters Emergency Committee’s East Africa Crisis Appeal to encourage the public to donate. By matching public donations pound for pound, the Government is boosting the difference Britons can make. We are lobbying the international community to step up financial support, pressing for political solutions to the conflicts that are driving the crises, and helping to negotiate safe access so that urgent aid, including food, can reach those in need.

Department for Education

University Technical Colleges

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department paid any sums in to the Baker-Dearing Trust in (a) 2014-15, (b) 2015-16 and (c) 2016-17.

Nick Gibb: The Department has paid the following sums to the Baker Dearing Trust (BDT): (a) 2014/15 - £213,191(b) 2015/16 - £157,364(c) 2016/17 –£138,341 (from 1 April 2016 – 31 January 2017) BDT provide advice, guidance and pre-approval support to proposer groups developing applications to establish UTCs. The Department funds this work through a competitively tendered grant award.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Gambling: Internet

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will introduce a limit for online gamblers that applies on all platforms.

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans the Government has to produce a strategy to better limit the maximum stakes for online gambling.

Tracey Crouch: The Gambling (Licensing and Advertising Act) 2014 brought offshore online gambling operators within scope of the Gambling Commission’s regulatory regime for the first time. Since then, the Commission has introduced a number of additional licence conditions in relation to online. These new requirements include providing easily accessible facilities for consumers to impose their own limits, which can include limits on deposit, spend and losses, and over different time durations. In addition, a new multi-operator online self-exclusion scheme, which will allow individuals to simultaneously self exclude from all online gambling sites, will be introduced by the industry later this year. We keep the regulation of online gambling under review and will not hesitate to take action if it is needed to protect people from gambling-related harm.

Gambling: Internet

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure that under-age people are not able to gamble online.

Tracey Crouch: The protection of children from being harmed or exploited by gambling is one of the core objectives of the Gambling Act 2005. Gambling Commission licence conditions ensure strict controls are in place to prevent children from accessing gambling online. Where there is a failure to prevent underage gambling, the Gambling Commission will take regulatory and/or criminal action.Government will not hesitate to take action if it is needed to protect young people from gambling-related harm.

Digital Technology: Great Grimsby

Melanie Onn: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 March 2017 to Question 66060, on Digital Technology: Great Grimsby, which companies have committed to working in Great Grimsby as part of the Digital Skills Partnership.

Matt Hancock: We are currently developing the scope and membership of the Digital Skills Partnership.

Historic Buildings: North East

Anna Turley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure that buildings in the North East on the National Heritage List for England are properly maintained.

Tracey Crouch: Historic England maintains a national Heritage at Risk Register that includes details of all Grade I and II* listed buildings at risk, plus details of Grade II listed buildings at risk in London and Grade II listed places of worship at risk outside London. In relation to buildings on the Register, Historic England operates a grant scheme for project development and urgent structural repairs, and provides advice to owners, developers and local authorities on changes, plus other sources of funding and advice. Such sources include the Heritage Lottery Fund, which has awarded over £90 million towards projects in the North East primarily focused on listed buildings. These projects typically focus on repair and redevelopment, but can also include funding for other activities such as engagement which help ensure the long term sustainability of a project.

Tourism

Amanda Milling: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate the Government has made of the economic value of tourism.

Tracey Crouch: Tourism provides more than £62bn of GVA to the UK economy and one in ten jobs are in the tourism industries. The Government Tourism Action Plan which aims to increase international visits outside of London, will ensure the economic benefit of tourism is felt across the country.

Tourism: Finance

Amanda Milling: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of English tourism funding has been allocated to (a) London and the South East and (b) other English regions in each year since 2010.

Amanda Milling: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of tourism funding has been allocated to the Midlands in each year since 2010.

Amanda Milling: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of English tourism funding is allocated to the Midlands.

Tracey Crouch: Government funding for tourism, which is dispersed through VisitBritain and VisitEngland, is not allocated regionally but instead focuses on promoting the country as a whole and thematically. It is not possible to ascertain the precise figures for funding given to the different regions across England. Other streams of non-central Government funding, including funding from local authorities and businesses, also supports tourism at a local level.

Telecommunications: EU Law

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the effect on UK firms engaged in the digital economy if the UK were to be outwith the EU Electronic Communications Framework.

Matt Hancock: The department is in consultation with all stakeholders its to understand how leaving the EU will impact them, including the UK telecoms industry. We want our new partnership with the EU to allow for tariff free trade in goods and to minimise the regulatory and market access barriers for both goods and services.

Telecommunications: EU Law

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the effect on UK firms engaged in the digital economy of proposed changes to the EU Electronic Communications Framework.

Matt Hancock: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has carefully considered the impact assessments that accompanied the European Commission’s proposals for recast of, and revisions to, the EU Electronic Communications Code and we have challenged these where we felt more information was needed. The Government ran an industry “call for views” in October and November 2016, following publication of the proposals in September 2016, which included seeking “views and any supporting evidence on the costs and benefits of these proposals”.

Electronic Commerce

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with local authorities on their role in strengthening the digital economy.

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what advice her Department has given to local authorities on attracting future investment for digital start-ups as a result of the UK's decision to leave the EU.

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of increases to business rates on the viability of digital start-ups in the UK.

Matt Hancock: We regularly engage with local authorities to discuss their role in growing the digital economy. This includes our investment of £200 million to fund locally-led projects across the UK to leverage local and commercial investment in full fibre. This builds on the relationship BDUK developed with the Superfast, and Connected Cities projects. We are continuing this close partnership with local authorities across the UK to develop our approach to this full fibre investment. At Budget 2016 Government announced reductions in business rates worth almost £9 billion over the next 5 years. This included permanently doubling Small Business Rate Relief and extending the thresholds of the relief to ensure that 600,000 businesses will not pay business rates again. Furthermore, at Spring Budget we announced an additional business rates package providing £435m of further support for businesses facing significant increases in bills in England. This includes: · support for small businesses losing Small Business Rate Relief to limit increases in their bills to £600 each year · providing English local authorities with £300m of funding to support to allow them to provide support to individual hard cases in their local area. We have awarded Manchester, Leeds, and Sheffield councils over £11m of grant funding in March 2016 to establish and develop new work space, business incubation and other services for entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized businesses based in the North of England whose ambitions and business models rely on digital technologies and their applications. We regularly meet to discuss progress with these projects. We recently published the Digital strategy which set a clear vision to make the UK the best place in the world to start a digital business, building on our commitment to back our economic strengths as we leave the EU.

Department for Work and Pensions

Social Security Benefits: Multiple Sclerosis

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of people with multiple sclerosis on (a) income-based employment and support allowance and (b) the limited capability for the work element of universal credit have received sanctions in the latest year for which data is available.

Penny Mordaunt: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Universal Credit: Disqualification

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what criteria a person would have to meet to receive a sanction equal to the financial support they receive from the limited capability for the work element of universal credit (a) now and (b) from April 2017 following the change in the rate at which that element is paid.

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in what set of circumstances a person would receive a sanction equal to the financial support they receive from universal credit.

Damian Hinds: Imposing a sanction is not something we do lightly. Claimants are given every opportunity to explain why they failed to meet their agreed conditionality requirements, before a decision is made. A sanction reduces a claimant’s Universal Credit award by an amount never more than their standard allowance element entitlement. A claimant with a health condition or disability, who makes a claim for Universal Credit on or after 3 April 2017, and who is found to have limited capability for work following a WCA, will not be eligible for the limited capability for work element of Universal Credit.

Department for Work and Pensions: Internet

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the five most visited websites were by staff of his Department in the last year for which figures are available.

Caroline Nokes: The Department for Work and Pensions does not routinely report on the websites regularly visited by staff. However using a cut of supplier data only available from the last six months (Sep-Feb 16/17) we can advise that the five most visited sites over that period were, in order of most views: gov.uk, Google, Apple.com, bing.com, bbc.co.uk;

State Retirement Pensions: Care Homes

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons state pensions are not provided to those who have lived in care homes for the previous 12 weeks or more.

Richard Harrington: Both State Pension and Pension Credit are payable to people who permanently reside in care homes. However, entitlement to Pension Credit including entitlement to any Pension Credit additional amounts depends on individual circumstances, which may change when a person moves permanently into a care home. For example, those in receipt of Attendance Allowance may receive the additional amount for severe disability included in Pension Credit. As Attendance Allowance provides support for care costs, payment will stop after 4 weeks, if care is funded by the Local Authority in order to avoid duplicate care funding. Entitlement to the additional amount will end when payment of Attendance Allowance stops and this could lead to cessation of entitlement to Pension Credit.

Department for Work and Pensions: Management Consultants

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 7 March 2017 to Question 65698, how much of that procurement spending in each of those years related to the services of management consultants.

Caroline Nokes: DWP spent the following on management consultants for each year: 2010/11 - £18,286,484 2011/12 - £5,579,501 2012/13 - £11,693,869 2013/14 - £11,693,702 2014/15 - £12,748,976 2015/16 - £8,680,339

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Food: Labelling

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether food labelling in respect of sugar and fat content applies to all packaged foods and snacks available in retail outlets.

George Eustice: Information on nutrition is mandatory for most pre-packaged foods. Exemptions to this are listed in Annex V of the Regulation on the provision of food information to consumers, EU 1169/2011. Exemptions include unprocessed single ingredient products; food presented in very small packaging; and food (including handcrafted food) supplied by a manufacturer of small quantities of products, either directly to the final consumer or to local retail establishments directly supplying the final consumer.

Food: Origin Marking

Dr   Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department have for improving information on food labelling and origin.

George Eustice: Mandatory requirements for origin labelling already exist for a number of foods, such as beef, lamb, poultry and pork. Rules on origin labelling are not in place for dairy and processed meat products, such as bacon and burgers, but this is often provided on a voluntary basis. Most dairy and processed meat products are compliant with industry's voluntary principles for origin labelling and we are considering how to build on these voluntary principles. We also have an opportunity on leaving the EU to consider further extensions of mandatory country of origin labelling.

Agricultural Products and Food

Dr   Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to increase consumer awareness of British-sourced and farmed produce and food after the UK leaves the EU.

George Eustice: The AHDB promotes British agricultural produce both domestically and overseas. The annual budget of the AHDB is approximately £60 million. We are also working with industry to identify opportunities to open new markets after leaving the EU and to support farm businesses that want to develop brands around food provenance.

Coal Fired Power Stations: Air Pollution

Jeff Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that the placing of pollution standards on coal power stations is included in the Government's air quality plan.

Jeff Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effect on public health of the revised Large Combustion Plant Best Available Technique Reference Document standards; and if she will make a statement.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Government is firmly committed to improving the UK's air quality and cutting harmful emissions. This is one of the reasons why the UK has signed up to the National Emissions Ceiling Directive, which sets tougher legally binding ceilings for emissions of five major pollutants in 2020 and 2030. The Government is considering how all sectors of the UK economy, including industry, can contribute to these ambitious targets. The UK has implemented the EU Industrial Emissions Directive, which aims to achieve a high level of protection of human health and the environment by reducing harmful industrial emissions through setting limits on emissions of key pollutants and application of Best Available Techniques (BAT). The UK remains a member of the EU until we leave, with full rights and obligations of membership. The Government is therefore participating as usual in the ongoing review process for the Large Combustion Plant Best Available Technique Reference Document (LCP BREF) to ensure that the standards placed on industry deliver benefits to human health and the environment balanced against the costs of implementation. This includes standards applicable to coal-fired power stations. Defra officials are currently examining the proposed LCP BREF ahead of the vote next month.The Government’s recent consultation on proposals to regulate the closure of unabated coal-fired power plants by 2025 ended in February this year. Responses are currently being considered and resulting measures will be factored into the Government’s future air quality plan.The draft UK Air Quality Plan for tackling nitrogen dioxide will be published by 24 April.

Horses: Trespass

Sir Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many times in each county or local government area in England and Wales a freeholder or lawful occupier of private land has detained a horse under section 7B of the Animals Act 1971 since that Act came into force.

Sir Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many times each local authority in England and Wales has used its powers to detain a horse under section 7A of the Animals Act 1971 since that Act came into force; and when each such use of those powers took place.

George Eustice: The Government does not hold records on the frequency of use of the powers available under the Animals Act 1971, as amended by the Control of Horses Act 2015 to make it easier to detain and manage unlawfully placed horses on land in England. Nevertheless, local authorities, land owner representatives and animal welfare organisations welcomed the new measures introduced in 2015.

Fisheries: Treaties

Kevin Hollinrake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the Government plans to give notice to terminate the London Fisheries Convention 1964.

George Eustice: The Government remains fully committed to controlling and managing UK waters after we leave the EU in accordance with our rights and obligations under international law. We are considering the issue of the London Fisheries Convention carefully to ensure we have full control of UK waters after we leave the EU and, as the Prime Minister said on 29 March 2017, we hope to be able to say something about it soon.

Newts: Licensing

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the resources, including staff time, needed by Natural England to implement the pilot scheme for the new approach to Great Crested Newt licencing.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Natural England estimates that the Woking pilot has cost approximately £31,000 and involved the equivalent staff time of 2.75 full time employees. The pilot scheme in Kent will cost £180,000, with funding for this being provided jointly from The Department of Communities and Local Government and The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The new licensing approach replaces site by site licensing with a new system of district planning level licensing with surveys and habitat compensation undertaken proactively at the district level by Natural England and the local authority. It will reduce costs for Natural England and costs, uncertainty and risk of delay for developers, while at the same time enhancing the conservation status of Great Crested Newts.

Land: Walsall North

Mr David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the letter from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State of 20 February 2017 to the hon. Member for Walsall North, reference MC421056/ON, which stated that a decision would be reached on the public inquiry into land in Walsall North constituency by the end of March, on what date that decision will be made.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: I can confirm that a decision has now been made in respect of this appeal. I expect the letter setting out my decision in detail to issue imminently.

Home Office

Mental Health Services

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health on ensuring that NHS providers fulfil requirements under the Mental Health Crisis Care Concordat.

Sarah Newton: The Home Office and Department of Health work closely, on an ongoing basis, on a wide range of issues related to mental health and policing including those covered by the Concordat. The Minister for Vulnerability, Safeguarding and Counter Extremism and the Minister for Public Health and Innovation alternately chair the National Steering Group on the Crisis Care Concordat which monitors work across the country on local responses, including of NHS providers, to those in mental health crisis. The Government has recently allocated some £15m in funding to 88 projects across 40 Crisis Care Concordat partnerships to improve places of safety provision and ensure that people in mental health crisis are not detained in police stations. A further £15m of funding has been announced to continue this work. Both departments are engaged in preparations for forthcoming changes to the Mental Health Act 1983 as contained in the Policing and Crime Act 2017 and which are designed to further improve the response to those in mental health crisis.

Europol: Databases

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had discussions with Europol on data sharing and access related to law enforcement after the UK's exit from the EU.

Brandon Lewis: The European Commission has made clear that there should be no formal discussions or negotiations on our future relationship with the EU until after Article 50 is triggered by the UK Government. This includes Europol as an agency of the EU. Therefore no such discussions have taken place. We are exploring options for cooperation arrangements once the UK has left the EU but it would be wrong to set out unilateral positions on specific measures in advance of negotiations.

Asylum: Children

Mr Geoffrey Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many children she plans to resettle in the UK under the Dubs amendment in the next six months.

Mr Robert Goodwill: On 8 February, the Government announced that we will transfer the specified number of 350 children to the UK under section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016 following consultation with local authorities on capacity. This includes the more than 200 children already transferred under section 67 from France as part of the UK’s support for the Calais camp clearance. Further transfers are expected to begin shortly.

Home Office: Official Hospitality

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department has spent on (a) hotels, (b) hospitality, (c) food and drink and (d) transport in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Sarah Newton: As part of the Home Office’s commitment to transparency, figures for travel, subsistence and hospitality are published in the Home Office’s Annual Report and Accounts, copies of which are available in the House library.

Deportation: EU Countries

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which EU readmission agreements contain clauses regarding the return of third country nationals.

Mr Robert Goodwill: All of the European Union Readmission Agreements contain clauses to return third country nationals. The agreements are available at: https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/irregular-migration-return-policy/return-readmission_en

Police: Sick Leave

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of trends in the number of police officers on long-term sick leave over the last three years.

Brandon Lewis: It is the responsibility of chief constables to manage officer welfare, supported by the College of Policing. The Home Office collects and publishes data, as at 31 March each year, on the total number of and total full-time equivalent (FTE) officers on certified long-term sick leave. This is published annually in the ‘Police workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin, and in the accompanying open data tables, which can be accessed here:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-workforce-england-and-wales

Deportation: EU Countries

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with which countries the UK has EU readmission agreements.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The UK participates in 14 EU Readmission Agreements with: Albania, Russia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Macao, Ukraine, Turkey, Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Moldova and Georgia.

Immigration: EEA Nationals

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average waiting time has been for an application for a form EEA document certifying permanent residence in each month since January 2016.

Mr Robert Goodwill: There is no published data to show monthly waiting times for applications for an EEA document certifying permanent residence during the period requested. The most recent published figures for the number of applications to European Casework which are concluded within service targets can be found on table in InC 02 of the attached report. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/temporary-and-permanent-migration-data-february-2017 The next release of Transparency Data is due on 25 May 2017.

Immigration: EEA Nationals

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications from EEA nationals for a registration certificate to live in the UK have been (a) submitted, (b) successfully completed and (c) rejected by her Department in each month since January 2016.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Statistics on outcomes of applications for registration certificates for European Economic Area (EEA) nationals are published quarterly in the Immigration Statistics. These include data for documents issued, refusals and applications deemed invalid and hence rejected. The most recent edition (Immigration Statistics October to December 2016, European Economic Area data table ee_02_q,) is available athttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2016/list-of-tables#european-economic-area-eea

Visas

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) Tier 1 general, (b) Tier 1 graduate entrepreneur, (c) Tier 1 exceptional talent, (d) Tier 1 investor, (e) Tier 4 general, (f) Tier 4 child and (g) short-term student visas were issued in (i) 2016 and (ii) 2017.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Information on Tier 1, Tier 4, and short-term study (previously referred to as ‘student visitor’) grants (by calendar year) is published quarterly; latest data in the Home Office’s ‘Immigration Statistics, October - December 2016’, Visa data tables volume 1, table vi_04, available from the https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2016/list-of-tables#visas Published tables do not contain visa figures for 2017. Our next released publication, on May 25, will contain Q1 2017 figures.

Police Service: Licensing

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her speech of 30 November 2016 to the College of Policing, which roles within the police service she is considering for accreditation under the proposed new national scheme of licensing to practise.

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her speech of 30 November 2016 to the College of Policing, what estimate she has made of the additional resources required to enable police services to transition to the proposed new national licensing scheme for specialist officers.

Brandon Lewis: As my Rt Hon friend the Home Secretary indicated in her speech on 30 November 2016, the licence to practise is expected to cover specialist high-risk roles, such as those responsible for investigations into child sexual abuse and domestic violence. It will be for the College of Policing, as the professional body for policing, in consultation with policing stakeholders, to propose those roles to be subject to the licence to practise scheme.

Police: Sick Leave

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers have been on long-term sick leave in each month since April 2016.

Brandon Lewis: It is the responsibility of chief constables to manage officer welfare, supported by the College of Policing.The Home Office collects and publishes data, as at 31 March each year, on the total number of and total full-time equivalent (FTE) officers on certified long-term sick leave. This is published annually in the ‘Police workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin, and in the accompanying open data tables, which can be accessed here:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-workforce-england-and-wales

Asylum: Children

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government takes to minimise the separation of peer and sibling groups among unaccompanied asylum-seeking children as part of the National Transfer Scheme.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The National Transfer Protocol, which provides guidance on the operation of the National Transfer Scheme and can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/534258/Interim_National_UASC_transfer_protocol.pdf, sets out that a child’s best interests must be at the heart of transfer decisions. This will include taking account of an unaccompanied child’s peer and sibling groups and ensuring that unaccompanied children can maintain contact and, wherever possible, are placed in the same local authority area as their siblings.

Asylum: Children

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the unique needs of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children are met during integration into education, care and health services.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Local authorities have a statutory duty under the Children Act to ensure that they safeguard and promote the welfare of all children, regardless of their immigration status or nationality. Under these arrangements, unaccompanied asylum seeking children are assessed with regard to their individual needs and provided with access to education, accommodation, and psychological and health services, as would be provided to any other looked after child in the UK. They are also provided with a personal social worker. We work closely with Department for Education and local authorities to support effective access to, and delivery of, these services to this group of children.

Members: Correspondence

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Easington of 15 February 2017, reference EN7643, relating to Mr Brown and the decision to overturn the Referred Cases Unit decision to issue a visa.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The letter dated 15 February 2017, with the reference EN7643, was responded to by telephone on 6 March 2017. Given that events surrounding this case have progressed since then – including the receipt of a further letter from the hon. Member for Easington on 16 March 2017 – the Home Office will respond to this latest correspondence with further information. A response will be sent shortly.

Asylum: Children

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what measures are in place to ensure that the receipt of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (a) incorporates young person-centred practice and (b) is efficient.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Home Office takes its responsibility for the welfare of children very seriously and immigration officials receive specific training on responding to children’s needs. As soon as possible after claiming asylum, identity details of unaccompanied children are registered and a welfare interview conducted to identify any safeguarding concerns. All unaccompanied asylum seeking children are referred to the local authority children’s services so that accommodation and welfare needs can be assessed and appropriate provision made. A referral is also made to the Refugee Council Children’s Panel which is an independent voluntary organisation funded by the Home Office to provide advice and guidance to unaccompanied children on the asylum process.

Cybercrime

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will lay before the House the results of each wave of the National Cyber Security Tracker survey from its inception to the present.

Mr Ben Wallace: Cyber Aware is HMG’s public awareness and behaviour change initiative on cyber security, developed by private and public stakeholder partners and coordinated by the Home Office’s Research, Information and Communications Unit. It is designed to make the UK a safer place to interact and do business online by increasing individual and SME adoption of safe online behaviours. The impact of the Cyber Aware campaign on behaviours is evaluated through a range of measures, including regular quantitative tracking managed by an independent research agency. The principal purpose of these results is to inform the ongoing development of the campaign. Cyber Aware is currently assessing options and the feasibility of publishing research results from 2017/18 onwards.

Police: Mental Health Services

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the safety of restraint techniques and equipment used by police officers on people suffering mental health crises.

Brandon Lewis: The use of force, including use of restraint techniques and equipment, is an operational matter for forces. The application, safety and effectiveness of forms of restraint are therefore considerations for Chief Officers rather than the Home Office. The Government is clear, however, that all use of force must be lawful, necessary and proportionate.

Imitation firearms

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the risks to public safety and police welfare of the public availability of imitation firearms that are indistinguishable from genuine firearms without close inspection; and if she will introduce legislative proposals to require producers of such imitations to make them clearly visually distinct.

Brandon Lewis: Existing legislation ensures that there are controls in place relating to realistic imitation firearms. The Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 specifies that the size, shape and principal colour are to be taken into account in determining whether an imitation firearm is to be considered a realistic imitation firearm. There are a number of legitimate activities in relation to the possession of realistic imitation firearms, including for the purposes of historical re-enactment and airsoft skirmishing.It is an offence under section 16A of the Firearms Act 1968 to possess an imitation firearm with the intent to cause someone to fear that unlawful violence will be used against them or another person.

Mobile Phones: Registration

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the merits of a change in legislation to require all pre-paid mobile phone numbers to be registered to an address.

Sarah Newton: I refer the hon. Member to the answer which was given in response to the hon. Member for Twickenham on 7 September 2016, UIN 44233.

Derbyshire Police Authority: Helicopters

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many days a year the Derbyshire police force area has had full crewed air capability available in each year since 2010-11.

Brandon Lewis: The Home Office does not hold the requested information centrally.

Cabinet Office

Electronic Warfare

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment the Government has made of the current level of threat to democracy in the UK from cyber attacks, propaganda and subversion by hostile states; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Skidmore: The first duty of Government is to safeguard the nation, and we treat the security of our democratic processes extremely seriously.Our system of paper balloting and hand counting means UK voting mechanisms do not lend themselves to direct electronic manipulation. However, the Government has in place a number of measures to protect the integrity of the electoral process from malign activity, including from cyber attack.The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) offers UK organisations, including political parties, access to the best cyber security advice and support to help them meet their responsibility to protect their information and prevent cyber attacks from all possible threats.

Department of Health

Genetics: Research

Sir Alan Meale: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will provide an update on his Department's work on the 100,000 Genomes Project; and if he will make a statement.

Nicola Blackwood: The 100,000 Genomes Project is making good progress. The project is at the leading edge of global science, developing ground breaking new techniques and protocols. Genomics England has developed semi-automated bioinformatics to analyse genomic data to find the cause of disease. To date, over 29,000 whole genomes have been sequenced and reports are already being returned to the National Health Service who are responsible for discussing clinical interpretations and next steps with patients. The project is already changing the lives of patients with a rare disease – providing many patients with diagnoses for the first time, often after years of uncertainty and distress whilst helping to reduce considerable costs to health and social care budgets. Genomics England and NHS England are actively developing a fast track pipeline for patients with cancer who are participating in the Project. We are aiming to reduce the time from sample acquisition to the return of a report to four weeks. This will increase the utility of the service to clinicians and patients alike.

HELLP Syndrome

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people have been diagnosed with HELLP syndrome in each of the last five years.

Mr Philip Dunne: This table shows a count of the number of finished admission episodes (FAEs)1 in England with a primary diagnosis2 of HELLP Syndrome from 2011-12 to 2015-163. The table shows activity in English National Health Service Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector: YearFAEs2011-12-2012-133992013-143992014-153922015-16428Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), NHS DigitalNotes:1 A FAE is the first period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider.2 The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the HES data set and provides the main reason why the patient was admitted to hospital.3 HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage (particularly in earlier years), improvements in coverage of independent sector activity (particularly from 2006-07) and changes in NHS practice. For example, apparent reductions in activity may be due to a number of procedures which may now be undertaken in outpatient settings and so no longer include in admitted patient HES data. Conversely, apparent increases in activity may be due to improved recording of diagnosis or procedure information.Note that HES include activity ending in the year in question and run from April to March, e.g. 2012-13 includes activity ending between 1 April 2012 and 31 March 2013.

Genetics: Research

Tom Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress has been made on the 100,000 Genome Project; and if he will make a statement.

Nicola Blackwood: The 100,000 Genomes Project is making good progress. The project is at the leading edge of global science, developing ground breaking new techniques and protocols. The Northern Ireland Department of Health and Medical Research Council have provided £3.3 million funding for the Northern Ireland Genomic Medicine Centre which received approval to go live in February 2017, becoming the first of the devolved nations to do so. Recruitment of participating patients has commenced and is on schedule to meet project targets. Sequencing will be performed by Genomics England and the results will be passed back to clinical experts at the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust. Genomics England has developed semi-automated bioinformatics to analyse genomic data to find the cause of disease. To date, over 29,000 whole genomes have been sequenced and reports are already being returned to the National Health Service who are responsible for discussing clinical interpretations and next steps with patients. The project is already changing the lives of patients with a rare disease – providing many patients with diagnoses for the first time, often after years of uncertainty and distress whilst helping to reduce considerable costs to health and social care budgets. Genomics England and NHS England are actively developing a fast track pipeline for patients with cancer who are participating in the Project. We are aiming to reduce the time from sample acquisition to the return of a report to four weeks. This will increase the utility of the service to clinicians and patients alike.

Musculoskeletal Disorders: Stem Cells

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment the NHS has made of the potential merits of the use of stem cell technology to treat damaged Achilles tendons.

Nicola Blackwood: The Government continues to support research through a range of funding agencies into the therapeutic use of stem cells. Clinical trials are currently underway in the United Kingdom to test the potential of a number of therapies for damaged tendons including the use of stem cells. Before making this type of treatment available through the National Health Service it will be necessary to demonstrate that the treatment is both safe and effective.

Liver Diseases: Children and Young People

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Royal Colleges on the effect of over-eating on the prevalence of liver cirrhosis among teenagers.

Nicola Blackwood: My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health has not had any such discussions.

Coeliac Disease

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Royal Colleges on potential negative health effects of a gluten-free diet.

Nicola Blackwood: No such discussions have taken place.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people have been diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder in each of the last five years.

Nicola Blackwood: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Breastfeeding

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the NHS takes to promote the breast feeding of babies beyond the age of two months.

Nicola Blackwood: NHS England is supportive of improving breast feeding rates, and expects maternity providers to continue to work toward this. The Better Births report, a review of maternity services in England, has set out some key recommendations to improve maternity services. A work stream associated with breastfeeding aims to support women to be fit for, during and after their pregnancy and to provide the best possible start for their babies. The recommendations are now being implemented and every part of England is required to have a plan in place that outlines how they will do this by October 2017. Breastfeeding is promoted on the NHS Choices website, which also signposts links to the Breastfeeding Network and a Start4Life breastfeeding messaging board on social media. The promotion of breast feeding is one of the six high impact areas for health visiting. The mandated contact points – antenatal, 10-14 days after birth, and six-eight weeks after birth - are opportunities for health visitors to support parents around infant feeding. Whilst health visitors are commissioned by local authorities, most such services are provided by the National Health Service. Public Health England and the charity Unicef UK have developed a toolkit to support commissioning of evidence-based interventions to improve breastfeeding rates across England, including provision of effective professional support to mothers and their families through implementation of the Baby Friendly Initiative in every maternity unit – this is available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/563921/Early_years_high_impact_area3_breastfeeding.pdf